Basketball goal



BASKETBALL GOAL Filed Nov. 2. 1953 E Q E INVENTOR HOWARD M. ROSS I5 7 7 I2 BY flaw/Maw N 6 8 4 8 ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,735,680 BASKETBALL GOAL Howard M. Ross, Yonkers, N. Y. Application November 2, 1953, Serial No. 389,788 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-15) The present invention relates to basketball goals and more particularly to a novel type of hook construction by which the net element of the goal is secured to the ring in a manner permitting ready attachment and detachment, with maintenance in place during use that will be proof against accidental disengagement.

More particularly, the invention comprises a simple and efiicient hook element that can be permanently applied to the ring of the goal for engagement by the upper row of loops of the mesh net so as to hold the net in a manner preventing injury or damage to it while securely holding it in place against all possibility of disengagement by movements of the net in any manner resulting from impact of the ball.

Basketball goal nets are commonly made of cotton cord knotted in large open mesh form. Such a net is hung from the iron ring of the goal and it is subject to wear resulting from sliding of its upper loops over the metallic connection to the ring and resulting from pull and abrasion by the ball in the lower portions of the net. For this reason the nets require replacement from time to time. The need for replacement is considerably augmented by the common practice of employing only new or entirely sound nets for scheduled games and substituting worn nets for intervening practice. For this reason it is important that the nets be afiixed to the rings by means permitting very quick and easy connection and detachment as well as by means reducing to a minimum the wear of the net in the areas of the cord loops which engage the hooks or other connecting appendages of the ring.

The general objects of the present invention are to provide ring and net connecting means satisfying all the foregoing requirements.

In the appended drawing which forms part of this application for Letters Patent, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a ring and net assembly including hook attaching members constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of a pair of the hook members of the present invention shown attached to a section of the ring and having net loops attached to them;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing one of the hook members in front elevation; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hook members.

In the drawing the reference numeral 1 designates a conventional basketball goal ring, which is best made of tubular steel formed in continuous, endless circular shape of appropriate cross-sectional size, weight and diameter. The ring is mounted in accurately horizontal position and proper spacing from a backboard 2 by any convenient means, such as the right angular bracket 3 which has its vertical leg bolted or otherwise secured to the backboard and its horizontal leg formed with an outer arcuate edge welded to the outer periphery of the ring.

The foregoing structure is conventional. The present invention comprises the hooks which are secured to the under side of the ring in equidistant spacing in appropriate number so that each hook receives and holds one of the top marginal loops 4 of the customary net 5. In the embodiment shown, twelve such hooks are used.

Each hook 6 is formed preferably from a single length of relatively heavy wire stock which is bent to the shape shown in the drawing. This shape gives the hook a form including spaced vertical portions connected by a bottom bight adapted to seat one of the net loops 4, with a terminal guard portion or loop of the wire extending partially around the vertical portions to prevent accidental disengagement of the net loop from the bight.

More specifically, the hook comprises a vertical portion 7 which depends from the ring to a distance of approx imately one inch and terminates at its lower end in an inwardly directed horizontal portion 8 of about half an inch in length and forms a bight connecting the vertical portion 7 with an upstanding or upright portion 9 paralleling the portion 7 and about half the height thereof. The upright 9 is turned laterally right angularly at its upper end to form a horizontal portion 10, which may be about a half inch or more in length, and is then return bent through the portions 11 and 12, both in the same plane as the horizontal portion 10, to form a loop extending as a guard around and in spaced relation to the vertical portion 7, all as best shown in Fig. 5.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the portions above described are provided in double form with the corresponding portions parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart. Thus, there are two verticals 7, each connected by a bottom bight 8 with an upright 9, and both uprights are continued and bent to form a pair of vertically spaced horizontal guard loops each made up of the portions 10, 11, 12. The two terminal portions 12 are connected by a bight 13 which is disposed in a vertical plane and constitutes the midportion of the length of wire from which the hook member is made.

The result is a hook member which can be described as including seats 8 spaced slightly from each other in a horizontal direction and adapted to hold a net loop 4 between the four vertical portions 7, 7 and 9, 9. Accidental separation of the net loop is prevented by the horizontal guard loop of the wire composed of the portions 10, 10, 11, 11, and 12, 12 which are integrally connected at their ends by the bight 13.

It will be understood that the horizontal guard loopor pair of vertically spaced loops partially surround the verticals 7, 7 and are spaced sufficiently from them to ad-- mit one of the net loops 4. This loop is inserted? through the space designated 14 in Fig. 3, back around the verticals 7, and then around the inside of the wire loop and finally brought onto the bights 8.

Net loops thus seated in position will be found to be seld securely in place during all possible movements resulting from impact by the ball, the hands of the players and all other causes. However, when it is desired to remove the net, disengagement is very easily elfected by lifting each loop from its seat on the bight 8 and then threading the loop backwardly around the inside of wire guard loop and pulling it out through the space 14, in the reverse of the attaching operation.

The verticals 7 may be secured permanently to thering 1 in any appropriate manner, but it is convenient to form horizontal extensions 15 at the top of each vertical 7 to provide short feet which can, if desired, be curvedvery slightly to conform to the curvature of the ring 1 and then to weld these feet to the bottom surface of thering.

The invention may be embodied in other and difierent:

specific forms.

I claim:

In a basketball goal, aring, a hook for attaching a net to the ring comprising a single length of heavy wire stock having its terminal end portions directed away from each other in substantial alignment and secured to the underv surface of'the ring, vertical portions depending from the inner ends of said terminal end portions in spaced parallelism withvtheir lower ends return bent forwardly into spaced parallel upright portions of less height than the depending portions and having their upper ends return bent horizontally partially around the depending portions and connected to each other by a vertical bight at the midportion of the single length of wire stock, said vertical bight being spaced behind the depending portions for threading a net cord through said last named space and into seating relation with the bend connecting the depending and upright portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

